Dashaar: Kashmir’s Rare but Forgotten Maha Kumbh!

(By: Dr. Rajesh Bhat*)

Shadipur Kashmir Dashaar, often likened to the revered Purna Kumbh Mela, used to be a unique and ancient festival celebrated by Kashmiri Pandits. Unlike the regularly scheduled Kumbh Melas, the timing of Kashmir’s Dashaar depends on ten specific astronomical and astrological configurations, occurring roughly every 10, 12, 36 or 75 years. Due to these ten celestial combinations, the festival is named “Dashaar,” meaning ten combinations on a single day! This uncertainty in timing has led to the festival entering Kashmiri folklore as “Dahi Veher Dashaar,” literally meaning once in a Blue Moon. The festival is celebrated at the confluence of the Jhelum (Vitasta) and Sindh rivers in Shadipur, present Ganderbal district of Kashmir.

Historical Insights

During his post-doctoral research at the Jammu and Kashmir Department of Archives and Archaeology at Jammu, this Author stumbled upon a significant file titled “Dashaar Mela at Shadipur-1941”. The festival was last celebrated on June 14, 2016, after a 75-year hiatus, with the previous celebration on June 4, 1941. Historical records  upon the perusal of this delicate file revealed that over 100,000 pilgrims  had attended the 1941 Dashaar, far exceeding the expected 40,000. An earlier celebration in 1911 saw a cholera outbreak affecting thousands of pilgrims.

Celestial Significance

The festival is celebrated every time in June (Jyeshta) under specific astrological conditions: a Tuesday or Wednesday with the Moon in Virgo and the Sun in Taurus during Ananda Yog. The confluence of the Jhelum and Sindh rivers, known as Prayag Chinar, is considered sacred, akin to the confluence of the Ganges and Yamuna at Prayag in Allahabad. Kashmiri Pandits regard the Sindh stream as the sacred Ganga and Vitasta as another name for the river Yamuna, supported by verses 305-307 in the Nilmata Purana.

The 1941 and 1911 Dashaar

The preserved file, accessed by this Author,  mentions that the 1941 festival, falling on June 4, 1941, corresponding to 22nd Jyeshta, 1998 Vikram Samvat, was declared a public holiday in the entire districts of Baramulla, Anantnag, and Muzaffarabad. The Maharaja’s government had allocated Rs 200 for rescue boats and ropes, kept Rs 500 for unforeseen expenses, and deployed 100 Maharaja Guards and Medical Officers from Sumbal and Ganderbal. Over one-lakh pilgrims had  participated, far exceeding expectations.  This was based on the report of Deputy Chief Security General, who had estimated only 40,000 devotees.

In 1911, the festival faced a terrible cholera outbreak, requiring treatment for 3,063 pilgrims. A 16-year-old  Kashmiri Pandit boy, whose identity was not revealed, had  lost his life when a boat overturned.

The 2016 Celebration

In 2016, the festival celebrated after 75 years, saw elaborate arrangements, including transport, security, and sanitation. Local Muslim residents provided essential supplies and boat services. The Chinar Tree, which was photographed by Fred Bremner in 1905,  was in 2016  also surrounded by water on all sides. One had to come to this Chinar tree in a boat and go up some steps to have a commanding view of the confluence. The site, with its Shiva Lingam, has been a place of worship for centuries. Kashmiri Pandits who were incidentally already in Kashmir for Mela Kheer Bhawani of 2016, also participated in the Dashaar festival that year.

Cultural and Spiritual Significance

Sanjay Raina, an expert on the traditional and rituals of Kashmiri Pandits, explains,: “The Dashaar festival is always celebrated in the month of June (on 10th Jyeshta Shukla Paksha), either on Tuesday or Wednesday, with Hasta as Nakshatra, Moon in Virgo, and Sun in Taurus during Ananda Yog.” Raina cites the Nirnay Sindhu, Dashaar Nirnay book, and the rare Shadipur Dashaar Nirnay book as sacred texts documenting the festival’s significance.

Looking Forward

The exact date of the next Dashaar festival will be determined by astrologers and experts, but it cannot be before June 2026, adhering to the minimum ten-year gap required the celestial combinations to align once more.

• *(The author is a writer, author, and content creator who has been involved in both print and electronic media for over 35 years)